Thalia's Journal

Susan Lynn  Thalia - You are simply amazing! Wishing you a successful replacement and a quick recovery! You've got a lot of life and many great adventures ahead of you. All the best! ❤

Gerald Poulton  Way to go Thalia, not so bad looking back 😀 Just make sure you take care for a while and let your body heal.

Lilly Black  Wonderful news! now all you need is to have a speedy recovery. Wishing you the best outcome and recovery!

Tina Williams  Thalia - so happy to see that you are doing so well.....and posting after such a short time - what an inspiration!

Phyllis Petersen  You don't need a lot and hopefully won't be there long. I had loose pj pants for after the foley came out, so I could be more comfortable. I also had slippers with good grippy bottoms. Face mask, in case you are in an area with a lot of light, and ear plugs (I personally can't use them). If you have a long charger cord for your cell, that comes in handy.

Rita Savelis  There honestly is really nothing you need except maybe something to tie your hair back with if it's long. Take care.

Cathleen Weed  Eye mask, earplugs, icy hot for your neck and possibly a neck pillow. The better you sleep, the faster you heal 💛.

Bob Fessler  I brought my own pillow (with a colorful pillow case so they knew it was mine) and some shorts to wear under the gown and some toiletries like toothbrush and toothpaste and comfortable clothes to wear home (slippers/button down shirt/slip on pants) That's all I needed.

Thalia Cecil  Bob Fessler, thanks for the recommendations! Especially the button down shirts. That make sense! This helps me!!

Gerald Poulton  Hi Thalia, my Dr and hospital said not to bring / wear button shirts or blouses, but to bring loose sweater types, reason is that you are not supposed to put your hands behind your back after surgery, it spreads the sternum. Also if you raise your arns to do both together to keep the sternum even. I have found you can manage a button down if you leave a couple buttons done up and then put it on like a t-shirt😀But a tshirt or sweater doesnt bother the incision and stitches as much as the open front r buttons of a shirt/ blouse.

Bob Fessler  My Dr and hospital said I could put one hand behind my back at a time if needed. Just hold the other hand near your chest. Which was good because I needed to do that after every bodily function if you know what I mean. They also said not to raise your elbows above shoulder height.

I forgot to mention that I could not have done this without my ipad to pass the boring hours so I'd bring one of those too.

Thalia Cecil  Gerald Poulton, wow thanks for that advice! I didn't even think about that part! I guess it makes a lot of sense. But I plan on bringing big comfort sweatshirts to stay warm and protected :) thanks for your input it has helped!!

Thalia Cecil  Bob Fessler, what your doctor said seems to make a lot of sense! I wonder if they will tell me the same thing! Oh yes the iPad is a good idea! I am bringing my laptop to play mine craft and I am bringing a coloring book! Haha!

Cathleen Weed  Yes, after your recovery phase you will be shocked at how much better you feel. Once your new valve is in there doing it's job you'll be getting oxygenated blood throughout your system again and all of your energy will return. Also, outpatient cardiac rehab is a great program to help you regain your heart muscle and body strength. You can speak to your doctor about signing up for it. It's basically a gym in a hospital setting where you are monitored by nurses and physical therapists. It begins about a month after your surgery typically. Insurance usually covers it. Best wishes for a successful surgery and speedy recovery :).

Thalia Cecil  Thank you! And the cardiac rehab is definitely something to consider. I think my hospital offers programs like that and now o really want to ask! And thank you very much! I know it will go well!

Barbara Wood  Hi Thalia, I had a mitral valve repair 3 months ago. I was pretty asymptomatic before surgery & skiied, snowshoed & hiked throughout my waiting & felt pretty good. I was not expecting to see much difference after surgery but I really have! My energy level has really increased & I can take big deep breaths like I couldn't before. There has been a definite improvement! Best wishes for a smooth surgery & recovery!

Thalia Cecil  Barbara Wood, Oh wow! How inspiring! Do you feel as if we don't realize what is normal and what is not since most of us are born with these heart conditions? So we are unaware pre surgery but once we are fixed we see a difference. What do you think? Also I am very happy that your recovery is going so well. Congratulations and that's pretty awesome that you feel even better and can pursue your hobbys!!

Barbara Wood  Yes I think so ...we learn to compensate for our diminished capacity & then see the difference once we are " fixed" :)

Russell Knox  Had AVR 6 weeks ago. Before I couldn't carry the garbage out (about 40 yds round trip) without gasping for air. Now I'm walking around 1.5 miles in less than 30 minutes every day. I have told my wife several times how good it feels to be able to breathe.

Thalia Cecil  Wow. Good for you Russell. It's hearing how it's helped a simple everyday task lifts my spirits considering I have a young son !

Clayton Mcarthur  You will be amazed at how fast you recover, I actually had to slow down because I was overdoing it.It was hard to believe i had gotten that bad and not realized it.

Thalia Cecil  Thank you for sharing Clayton McArthur.! That is sort of how I feel... I mean I do have some set backs in my daily life but nothing major but I feel as if I may be worse than I think I am... I am ready to see how great I will feel! I'm glad that you are doing so well!!

Civita Fahey  Hi Thalia.. I had very mild symptoms before surgery but now that I have had it, I realize that I was much more compromised than I thought.. example. My sewing room is on the third floor of my house.. It would have to stop to go up all three flights of stairs, not really gasping for air, just had to take a breath, and if I needed something back on the first floor, I would have to decide if it was really necessary to go back down and back up.! now my mind still thinks the same and then I say, wait, I can go up and down and I wont have to stop!. so, yes, its amazing and I'm only about 4 1/2 months post op and not at 100% yet. So, you will see a big difference even if you feel you had mild or minor symptoms.. Best of luck. Like Clayton, I have to watch myself not to over do because there is so much more energy!

Thalia Cecil  Civita Fahey, thank you for your response! That's pretty awesome that you have seen an improvement like that, especially being 4 1/2 month post op. I'm very happy for you. I have a similar problem going up the stairs. It's a little difficult and I feel short of breath but I never know if I'm over exaggerating since I don't know what "normal" feels like. But your post helps me get a good idea of what we think is normal when it really is not!!!

Civita Fahey  Thalia we just got used to feeling the way we did as we didn't know any different.. its been our "normal" for as long as we can remember.. but, you will feel great.. you're young and healthy and at 56 I can now do a boxing working for over 30 minutes.. I used to stop after 5 because I couldn't breathe.. My goal is an hour, but I'm not pushing it.. its a marathon not a sprint..

Thalia Cecil  Good for you! I Love hearing success stories ☺️!! I hope to see the difference that you have. I have so many questions about how they are going to do everything but I think I'm just going to go in to my surgery strong and just worry about recovery or else I will freak myself out!!

Civita Fahey  Yes,ask questions but most of all make sure you have faith in your surgeon. Focus on your getting better. I was terrified just like you, and though its no walk in the park, its not as bad as my imagination had it.. I read all the posts on this site and I still didn't believe it, but, they have this down pat.. they do tons of them on a weekly basis.. its routine for them..you need to focus on your recovery and how well you will do. I will have you in my prayers.

Thalia Cecil  Thank you for that advice :) I used to be terrified but honestly I just have a lot of questions that I realize don't always need answered. I'm just trying to focus on the recovery!! And thank you for the prayers, I certainty need them :)

Phyllis Petersen  Where are you having surgery? There's so much we can all tell you. I had a different problem, but there are many things are the same. Only a week away? That's both scary and good. At this point, you're probably feel pretty anxious, even though you've been through quite a lot already. What type of tips do you need?

Maeve Dwyer  I'm 24 a just had a valve replaced last year -- you got this. Things that were really helpful to have during recovery: lots of towels (a clean one cleaning/ drying your incision daily), lots of pillows, especially a wedge pillow to prop yourself up in bed, and a heating pad for post-op muscle aches. Consider getting a Fitbit or some sort of step counter/
heart rate monitor so you can track your progress, make sure you're moving enough, and keep track of your pulse. Make sure everything you'll use on a regular basis for the next 6 weeks in at shoulder level and below. I set aside some dishes on the counter so I didn't have to reach up into the kitchen shelves. Make a list of all the tasks you'll need help with (dishes, laundry, tidying, dog walking/ pet care, grocery shopping/ errands, transportation to doctors appointments, meals, etc), put them on a calendar, and ask your support team to sign up to help (I used mealtrain for this). Make sure to include people coming over just to give you company. You don't want to be coordinating your care while you're recovering. Allow yourself time to recover but also give yourself opportunities to get out and combat the feelings of isolation that can come with recovery. Make a list of music, books, movies, tv to entertain yourself, especially that you find comforting.

Laura Jacobs  Hi Thalia! Maeve has given you excellent advice. If you can prepare some meals ahead of time and put them in the freezer it might be helpful. I would also recommend that you bring an extra long phone charger, eye mask, and ear plugs to the hospital with you.

Thalia Cecil  This is all very helpful. Phyllis Peterson, I am having my surgery at IU in Indianapolis, Indiana and my surgeon seems pretty great! I guess some of the tips I am wanting to know are how long does it take to get use to being on your feet again? And also I know they say that recovery is 6 weeks but I know there are still limitations after that as well so I wanted to get an idea of that. Oh and did your hospital put you on a cardiac diet?

Thalia Cecil  Maeve Dwyer, everything you said is very helpful. I am pretty much going to do all of that! I appreciate you taking the time to tell me those tips. See it's hard to know what to expect afterwards but everyone is saying that I will heal perfectly since I am so young.

Thalia Cecil  Laura Jacobs, I didn't think of the eye mask! That is a good idea considering everyone who comes in and out of hospital rooms ! Thank you very much!

Phyllis Petersen  Unfortunately, all they can talk is averages, since everyone heals differently. You'll be up and about at the hospital and it'll be important to keep that up afterwards. You'll want to push yourself a little, while making sure to get rest. I was on a cardiac diet at the hospital, and I think that's standard. I did get my sister to get me a couple of salt packets, because even a little made a difference, especially on my scrambled eggs. You will have a lot of water weight initially, but much of it will be off when you leave the hospital. Since you will have a sternotomy, you won't be allowed to drive or ride in the front seat for a few weeks. I had side entry and was cleared a week after leaving the hospital to drive, but waited until about a month after surgery before I felt I was ready, and kept it to short drives at first. You're going to need patience, but it will get better and before you know it you'll be moving forward with your life with more confidence probably than you're feeling right now. And when you really need to vent, feel free to do it here, since we'll understand.

Thalia Cecil  That answered a lot of my questions! Thank you. And I appreciate it. You all have been so helpful and I just joined yesterday! Thank you :)